Tristan Feldbauer

Tristan Feldbauer recorded music in the 1990's as half of the duo Zeus Faber, but his superb album Recordings (2007) marks his creative peak in a more recent style that was developed over several albums in the 2000's: distinctive, impressionist ambient-pop with a unique European sensibility.

artist:Tristan Feldbauer

country of origin:Switzerland

style(s):Ambient pop, cinematic, electropop

decades active:90's - 00's

essential releases:

Recordings (2007, Feldbauer.com/CD Baby)

Reviewed by Mike G

The somewhat enigmatic Swiss musician Tristan Feldbauer is schooled in both classical and jazz, which at least explains two seemingly contradictory things about his beguiling electronic pop instrumentals: the precise construction and the relaxed, jazz-like melody-lines. Feldbauer recorded music in the 1990's as half of the duo Zeus Faber, but his superb album Recordings (2007) marks his creative peak in a more recent style that was developed over several albums in the 2000's: distinctive, impressionist ambient-pop with a unique European sensibility.

Recordings radiates an early digital synthesiser sound that defines some peak moments in 80's synthpop. Musicians will no doubt know the original keyboard by name and two rapturous examples of its use are "Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime" by The Korgis and "Drive" by The Cars. Feldbauer and his three collaborators perform 12 exquisite ambient pop instrumentals all wrapped in that same floating, hovering sound that stretches off to the horizon. The crisp drum programming is simple and effective, the basslines warm and true. The melody lines are handled by a variety of keyboards and occasional jazzy guitar. By turns melancholy, nostalgic and bittersweet, the music often feels like a glide through an urban landscape and not surprisingly it makes a fantastic album for the car. Recordings is special; there's no better word for it.

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